23
EASTERN COURIER, MAY 25, 2011
NEWS
Tall ship sails into Manukau Harbour
Land ho: The Spirit of New Zealand sails into Manukau Harbour for the first time in the ship's history.
Photos: PHIL DOYLE
Kicking back: Crew members
enjoy the view as they enter the
Manukau Harbour.
Sea toil: Young crew members
do the work of sailing the ship.
On deck: Tasks on board the ship include the work of coiling lines
ready for use.
By TROELS SOMMERVILLE
Bar crossing, left: The Spirit of
New Zealand navigates the
waters of the Manukau
Harbour's bar.
The Manukau Harbour
witnessed a rare sight on
Saturday.
The 148-foot Spirit of New
Zealand sailed into the har-
bour for the first time in the
boat s 25-year history.
The 40 youth trainees and
crew aboard the three-masted
barquentine were greeted by
a flotilla of Coastguard boats,
surf lifesaving craft and local
boaties.
The kids here will have
had a fairly unique journey,
Spirit of Adventure Trust
chief executive Dean Law-
rence says.
There was a good oppor-
tunity. The bar was at the
right level. It was rough
enough to appreciate the dif-
ficulty of it while it was calm
enough to get across.
Not many sailing ships
come into the harbour these
days because it means cross-
ing the dangerous bar.
But a $2 million refit and a
new, more powerful engine
made the bar crossing much
safer for the Spirit, especially
in the calm conditions.
The bar is built up from
sand and silt deposits from
the Waikato River and
changes position depending
on the weather systems that
sweep through the area.
That makes it difficult to
navigate, Manukau Coast-
guard president Peter Van
Rooye says.
It changes constantly
because all it is is a big bank
of sand, he says.
No two crossings are the
same.
But there was more to the
occasion than just a bar
crossing -- it was also a
remembrance service for the
worst maritime disaster in
New Zealand s history.
A wreath was laid in mem-
ory of the 189 souls lost when
the HMS Orpheus was
wrecked while attempting a
bar crossing in 1863.
And after a few restless
nights at sea the sanctuary of
the calmer waters of the har-
bour were appreciated by
those with queasy stomachs
on board the Spirit.
Pukekohe High School s
crew member Joris Melchers
says he was one of only six
people not to throw up on the
first few nights at sea.
I m looking forward to a
swim because we haven t
showered yet so the boys
cabin is getting a bit smelly
with old socks and spew.
The boat dropped anchor in
Big Bay where it stayed over-
night before heading for the
Bay of Islands on Sunday.
Each year the Spirit of New
Zealand spends more than
300 days sailing young people
around the shores of the
country as part of its leader-
ship programme.
Between 1000 and 1200
youngsters board the ship
over the year to take part --
hoisting sails, climbing rig-
ging and sailing the ship.
Most of those on board
have never met, which is all
part of the bonding experi-
ence of being on board the
Spirit. Music players and
cellphones are confiscated at
the start of the voyage -- a
shock to most teenagers -- but
that didn t dampen the
spirits of 16-year-old Epsom
Girls Grammar student
Kimberleigh Jones.
I ve wanted to sail on the
ship since forever, since I saw
the boat in the Viaduct, she
says.
I love it.